Episode #60: MP - On the Wrong Side of the Law

 Episode #60: MP - On the Wrong Side of the Law

I feel the need to do a podcast on a very important and tough topic today. I'm going to talk about autistic individuals committing crimes.

"WHAT!?" you may ask.. People with autism commit crimes?

Or, you may be terrified knowing your child, client, or yourself. could end up committing a crime.

There are some great websites, trainings, and supports available and I will be sure to share those. This podcast is not meant to replace those excellent resources. I am just an autism specialist who has sadly now seen the inside of jails, juvenile corrections facilities, courtrooms, and the Oregon State Hospital. 

It seems there are a few things at play that are landing autistic people on the wrong side of the law. I have now been involve din two sexual assault cases, numerous aggravated assault cases, and two theft cases. 

Families experiencing challenges with their children's behavior are simply not being properly supported. And once a child and family enter appropriate supports - things do seem to improve. However, most of the families I have encountered in the legal system had not accessed support and services. Why? Well, that remains an excellent questions. I think it varies.

Some families are actually quite engaged and become frustrated with the school systems attention to their child's experiences with bullying or lack of appropriate accommodations leading them to homeschool. Homeschooling can be amazing, please do not get me wrong, but a lack of experiences with the trial and error with peers can potentially lead to a vulnerability with peers as young adults. The autist may have the drive to have a sexual partner or simply a group of friends - without the common sense or necessary decision making practice - leaving them defiant AND vulnerable - a tough combination.

Even if a student has accessed school supports, they may not have been provided with the sex education necessary to ensure many of the basics while their hormones are very real - compelling them to go on the internet or in real situations with underage children. Had someone had a very clear, concrete and brutally honest conversation about who can have sexual relations under the law and the importance of consent, these situations may not have happened. 

I am not blaming parents or professionals. We don't know what we don't know but we can do better. We can communicate the importance of using clear and concrete communication to explain things to teens who may not understand the subtle cues of peers egging them on or the dangers of even looking at children in a sexual manner. We can recognize and stop bullying by educating students and professionals of the long term effects of that kind of trauma. We can listen to parents early in development when their children struggle with regulation. Without proper training of that child's family and community, the child is deemed manipulative as they grow and become combative rather than supported to understand and advocate for their own unique processing and self regulation.

Dysregulated children do not always turn into dysregulated teens and adults but when they do, they often turn to peer groups who celebrate aggression or they learn to self medicate through drugs and/or alcohol use.

Prompt dependent children do not always remain prompt dependent but when they do, they may become susceptible to the prompts from peers just to fit in, have what they deem as friends but who actually get them into a lot of trouble. Again, the individuation of becoming adults is still there so the battle begins between parents, authority, and the young person. 

The anecdote to all this surely seems simple. Teacher and parent education regarding autistic processing that includes how to guide a child to think for themselves rather than falling prey as prompt dependants. And to think for yourself, you must be regulated so depending on the child, you either need to support regulation 1st or step into providing active, engaged, and extensive opportunities for problem solving rather than compliance or skill training.

Contact me for more information or if you'd like for me to do a podcast on a topic near and dear to your heart or curiosity.

Some recommendations for further reading:

Book: Caught in the Web of the Criminal Justice System by Lawrence A Dublin and Dr. Emily Horowitz

https://www.jkp.com/uk/caught-in-the-web-of-the-criminal-justice-system-1.html


Article: And Justice For All (Unless You Have Autism) by Barbara Doyle, M.S.

https://www.barbaradoyle.com


Website: Autism Speaks/Judicial Systems

https://www.autismspeaks.org/judicial-system


Website Article: Asperger/Autism Network


https://www.aane.org/asperger-syndrome-criminal-justice-system/

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